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존댓말 / 반말
Geunjeongjeon.jpg · Asadal · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

존댓말 / 반말

Speech levels — 해요체 and friends

Polite 요, formal 습니다, and when 반말 is safe.

Three you will actually use

해요체 (-요) is the default for travelers and classmates. 합쇼체 (-습니다/-습니까) is announcements, news, and extra-formal service. 반말 (plain 가, 먹어) is for close friends, children, and sometimes to younger people — only after they invite you, or when you are clearly in that role.

Mixing levels in one conversation sounds sloppy. If unsure, stay in 해요체. Switching down to 반말 is a social move, not a grammar flex.

어디에 가요?
eodie gayo?
Where are you going? (polite)
어디에 갑니까?
eodie gamnikka?
Where are you going? (formal)
어디 가?
eodi ga?
Where are you going? (banmal)

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